Duplex covered mail and news box



Dec. 18, 1951 R. w. GIESELER 2,578,692

DUPLEX COVERED MAIL AND NEWS BOX Filed March 9, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1INVENTOR. RqssELL W. GI5ELER BY M, rfi/pm ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 18, 1951 R. w. GIESELER 2,578,692

DUPLEX COVERED MAIL AND NEWS BOX Filed March 9, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2INVENTOR. RUSSELL 14/ G/ESELER /4 TTORNE Y6.

Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT 2,578,692 OFFICE DUPLEXCOVERED MAIL AND NEWS BOX Russell W. Gieseler, Jamestown, N. Y.

Application March 9, 1948, Serial No. 13,832

This invention relates to an improved duplex covered mail and news boxfor residences and business establishments, and more particularly to animproved news box having a primary cover part designed to fully protectthe mail contents from the elements, in association with a secondarycover part designed to prevent pilfering or loss of important maildeposited by the postman.

mailinto the box part and yet substantially pres vent pilz -cliingof thedeposited mail from the box part when the secondary cover part is inclosed and locked position. This. improved news box is designed foreconomic and low-cost fabricationwith a minimum of material and byrelatively few forming and assembly operations. The. news box is.reinforced and strengthened at points subjected to strain in a manner topermit formation there,- of from relatively light gauge sheet materialso as to provide an all-purpose new box which is strong and sturdy inconstruction, lasting in use, attractive in appearance, and designed tosatisfy the :needs and conveniences of the resident, postman and newscarrier.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent asthe disclosure proceeds.

Although the characteristic features of this invention will beparticularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself, and themanner in which it may he carried-Gut, may be better under stood byreferring to the following description taken in connection withtheaccompanying draw.- ings forming a parthereof, in which Fig. lis aperspective view of the improved news box.

Fig, ,2 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the box as the ame wouldappear when viewed along 1ine2--.2; of Fig. l.

i 3 is an enlar ed top pl view of the improved box, certain partsthereof being broken away to reveal structural details of the outerprimary cover part and secondary cover part as hinged to he box part.

Fig. 4; is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view showing theupper section of the rear Wall panel of the box part and the ,hingingsections of the primary and secondary cover parts as the same wouldappear when viewed along line 4i-t of Fig.

Fig. .5 is an e larged per.spective View showin the upper section of theimproved mail box with h Pr mary cover part swun into open posi on 5Claims. (01. 232-49) and the secondary cover part in closed and lockedposition, certain parts being broken away to illustrate structuraldetails; andv Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the secondary cover part,as formed and prior to hinging assem. bly to the box part.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings and specification.

As shown in the'drawings, this improved news box comprises a box part Awhich may be made 0! commodious size to serve not only as a letter box,but also as a container and receptacle for large and small magazines andnewspapers which are delivered to the residence or businessestablishment. A primary cover part B is hingedly mounted on the boxpart to provide a water shedding and protective cover which is designedto exclude entry of rain or moisture into the interior of the box partso that the mail contained therein will be kept dry at all times. Asecondary cover part 0, hingedly connected to the box part andunderlying the primary cover-part B, is arranged to be locked to the boxpart and is constructed to permit insertion of the mail into the boxpart and yet prevent pilfering removal of mail deposited in the boxpart.

The box part, the primary cover part and secondary cover part arepreferably formed from sheet material of a non-rusting character, suchas aluminum, stainless steel, copper or plastic sheet, although theseparts may also be formed from material such as ordinary steel sheet ortreated fiber sheet, protected from rust or deterioration by a suitableweather-resistant coating. This improved news box is constructed in amanner to permit high-speed production with a minimum of material, offew parts, and at low cost, and at the same time provide a'news boxwhich is sturdy nd lasting in use, attractive in appearance, anddesigned to exclude the entry of rain or moisture and the unauthorizedpilfering of mail deposited therein.

The box part comprises a front wall panel I and side wall panels 2presenting rounded vertically extending front corners 3 which may bemade from a single blank of sheet material as shown more particularly inFigs. 1, 2 and 3. The rear wall panel .4 and the bottom wall panel 5 mayalso be shaped from a single blank of sheet material, and is assembledto the shaped blank which forms the front wall panel I and side wallpanels 2 a manner to provide a strong and durable box part construction.The rear wall forming section of the rear wall panel 4 is provided withflanges 6 extending vertically along the side edges thereof. The flanges6 are secured as by spot welding to the vertical rear edges of theadjacent side wall panels 2 in a manner to provide ,rearwardly extendingrim formations .1 designed to rest against the building wall W andmaintain the wall forming section vof the rear wall panel spaced fromthe building wall in a manner to permit free circulation of airtherebetween.

The bottom wall panel 5, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, isprovided with a downwardly extending front flange 8 which i spot weldedor otherwise secured to the lower edge of the front wall panel I, anddownwardly extending side flanges 9 which are spot welded or otherwisesecured to the lower edge of the adjacent side wall panels 2. Thus thefront flange 8 and side flanges 9 associated with the bottom wall panel5 form with the lower edges of the front wall panel I and the side wallpanels 2 to which they are respectively secured, bottom rim formations Iwhich substantially reinforce and strengthen the lower section of thenews box.

The upper section of the box part is reinforced and strengthened by anoutwardly bulging rib formation II extending across the front wall panelI along a horizontal line slightly below the upper edge thereof toprovide a cover-receiving front edge section I2. The outwardly bulgedrib formation II extends across the curved corner formations 3 and intothe side wall panels 2 parallel to but a spaced distance from theinclined upper edge 2' thereof so as to provide thereabove relativelyfiat cover-receiving side edge sections I3. Thus the outwardly bulgedrib formation I I, pressed from the sheet metal blank which forms thefront wall panel I and the side wall panels 2, substantially reinforcesthe upper section of the box part.

The front wall panel I is also strengthened and reinforced by decorativerimming which also provides an attractive frame design. This framedesign comprises vertically extending ribs I5, merging into a pair ofupper and lower ribs I6 and I1 and a pair of intermediate ribs I8 andI9. These ribs have an outwardly bulging semicircular contour as shownmore particularly in Figs. 1, 2, and 5. The vertical ribs I and theintermediate ribs I8 and I9 of the framing defined therein a centralnotice panel to which the house address numbers may be attached. Theupper horizontal rib I6 and the adjacent intermediate rib I8, definewith the vertical ribs I5, a second notice panel 2|. The space withinthe lower horizontal rib H, the adjacent intermediate rib IS, and thevertically extending ribs I5, define an opening presently inwardlyextending horizontal ledges 22 against which a transparent window pane23 may seat. The transparent window 23 is secured to the outside faceofthe inwardly extending ledges 22 as by a suitable adhesive, in a mannerto securely hold the transparent window in position and insure aleak-proof construction. The transparent window 23 is locatedsufficiently close to the bottom wall panel 5 to make exteriorly visiblethe smallest mail card which may be dropped into thebox part.

The box part may be mounted on the building wall by the use of wood orlag screws I86 inserted through a pair of spaced socket holes 25 formedin the rear wall panel 4 at a point substantially below the secondarycover part C, so that the mounting screws I00 cannot be removed when thesecondary cover part C is in locked position. The lower end of the boxpart is secured to the building wall W by a suitable angular bracket 26which is connected to the rear wall panel 4 of the box part and securedto the building wall as by means of a lag or wood screw IIJI as shown inFig. 2. When the news box is thus mounted on the building wall W at 4 aconvenient location, it will be noted that the front wall panel I willbe inclined forwardly from the bottom wall panel 5 thereof, and thebottom wall panel 5 will incline sightly forwardly toward the front wallpanel I thereof.

The rearwardly extending rim formations I seat against the building wallW in a manner to permit free circulation of air between the rear wallpanel 4 of the building wall, and additionally provide a free hingingspace at the upper end of the box part to permit water sheddingattachment of the primary and secondary cover parts thereto. The upperend of each of the rearwardly extending rim formations I is providedwith a rounded head section 21 which is further defined by an undercutnotch at the neck portion thereof. Each head section 2? is provided witha hinge pin hole for the reception of a hinge pin 29.

The rear wall panel 4 is provided with a curvilinear extension 30 whichis curved rearwardly as shown more particularly in Figs. 3 for adistance of approximately to The curvilinear extension 30 is containedbetween the rear wall forming section of the rear wall panel 4 and thebuilding wall upon which the news box is mounted, and extends across thefull width of the rear wall forming section between the rim formationsI.

The secondary cover part C, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6, may bestamped from a single blank of sheet metal to provide a top wall sectionill, a downwardly extending front flange section 32 and a pair of sideflange sections 33. The side flange sections 33 extend rearwardly toprovide a pair of hinge arm extensions 34, having rounded ends 35provided with aligned holes 36 through which the hinge pins 29 extend.The rear edge of the top wall section 3| may be rolled to provide anattractive bead formation 31. The front flange section 32 is contouredto snugly telescope over the outside face of the upper edge section I2of the front wall panel I, and the side flange sections 33 andassociated arm extensions are designed to snugly telescope over theoutside face of the adjacent upper edge sections I3 of the side wallpanels 2.

Thus when the secondary cover part C is applied to the upper end of thebox part A, the rounded end portion 35 of each arm extension 34 willsnugly overlie and conform to the contour of the adjacent head section21 associated with the rearwardly extending rim formation I of the boxpart. The hinge pin holes 36 in the arm extensions 34 are also made toalign with the pin receiving holes in the head sections 21 so that thehinge pins 29 may extend therethrough. The open space between the beadededge 31 of the secondary cover part C and the rear wall panel 4 of thebox part is such as to provide adequate space for the insertion of mailinto the box part, but prevent removal of the mail from the box partuntil the secondary cover part C has been opened with a key in thepossession of the authorized resident.

The secondary cover part C may be provided with a simple locking devicecomprising a suitable lock structure 38 which is secured to the insideface of the top wall section 3| of the secondary cover part as by screwsor rivets 39.

The keyhole 40 is made conveniently accessible.

from the outside face of the top wall section 3I of the cover part toreceive the unlocking key.

The lock structure 38 is provided with a suitable draw-bolt 4|, whichmay be manipulated by a key inserted in the keyhole 40, tobe 'projectedthrough a bolt receiving slit 42 formed in'the the deposited mail. beingreadily accessible to theauthorized resident when the secondary coverpart is unlocked and swung from its closed position to open position.

The primary cover part B is designedto pro-' tect the interior of thebox part from the entry of moisture, and yet provide convenientaccessibility for insertion'of mail into the box part. The primary coverpart B may be formed from a substantially rectangular blank ofsheet'material and as constructed presents a top wall section 45 havinga rounded downwardly extending front flange section 46 which merges intothe rounded downwardly extending side flange sections 41... The primarycover part B is sized so that when hinged to the box part, the frontflange section 46 and the side flange sections 41. thereof will snuglytelescope over the outside. face of the front flange section 32, theside flange sections 33 and arm extensions 34 of the secondary coverpart C.

Each side flange section 41 of the primary cover part B isprovided withan outwardly flared water-shedding lip 43 at the lower edge thereofdesigned. to overlie the adjacent rib formation ll formed in theadjacent upper end of the side wall panel 2. The lower edge oi the frontflange section 46 of. the primary cover part B is also provided with anoutwardly flared water shedding lip 49 designed to overlie theoutsideface of the adjacent rib formation .li formed in the upper end ofthe front wall panel i. The front flange section. 46 of the primarycover part is also provided with a lip extension 59 along the lower edgethereof to provide a convenient finger grip for lifting the primarycover part.

The top wall panel section 45 of the primary cover part 1-3 is providedwith a curvilinear hip extension 5! along the rear edge thereof havingan arcuate length of from 90 to 180. The curvilinear hip extension 5'!is so shaped as to snugly embrace the rearwardly overhanging curvilinearextension 313 of the rear wall panel 4, as shown more particularly inFigs, I and 5. During hinging movement of the primary cover part B, thecurvilinear hip extension 5! thereof will snugly ride over theoverhanging curvilinear extension 3!) of the rear wall panel. Thecurvilinear hip extension 5| extends the full width of the rear wallpanel 4 between the side flanges 6 thereof.

The rear end of each side flange section 41 of the primary cover part'isgiven a rounded curvature 52 which substantially c'onformsto the roundedcontour ofthe curvilinear hip extension 5|, and is provided with a holeto receive the hinge pin or rivet 29. A short slit 53 separates therounded rear end 52 of each side flange section 4'! from the adjacentend of the curvilinear hip extension 5i. Each hinge pin 29 extendsthrough the rounded rear end 52 of the primary cover side flange section41, through the rounded end portion 35- of the underlying adjacent armextension 34 of the secondary cover part, and through the adjacent headsection 21 of thebox part, the hinge pins being in axial alignment andconstructed toperm-itfree swinging move ment of the primary cover part.Both ends 01' 6. each hinge pin 29 are headed over to preven removalthereof.

Full opening movement of the primary cover part is permitted by reasonof the slits 53 cut in the rear edge thereof in a manner to partiallyexpose the rear edges of the head sections 21."

When the cover part is in full open position, the closed end 54 of eachslit- 53 will abut against the closed end of the notch 28 at the base ofthe adjacent head section 21. It will be noted, however, that theterminus end 54 of each slit 53 substantially overhangs the inset rearwall panel 4, so that no water can reach the interior of the box part..i

In this improved construction, the curvilinear hip extension 5| of theprimary cover part rearwardly overhangs the rear wall panel 4 for asubstantial distance, and yet is contained within the area defined bythe rearwardly extending flanges ii of the rear wall panel Thus thecurvilinear hip extension 5i of the primary cover part positivelyprevents rain water from reaching the interior of the box part, andsheds the water to the rear of the rear wall panel 3. The hinge rivets28 at each side of the box part are arranged in true alignment,permitting free swinging movement of both the primary cover part B andthe secondary cover part C. Since each hinge rivet 29- extends throughthe primary cover side flanges 41, the secondary cover arm extensions34, and the head sections 21, an unusually strong and sturdy hingeconstruction is provided.

When this improved news box is built to such c'ommodious size as tocontain magazines and newspapers as well as mail, the bottom wall panel5 would normally be spaced from twelve to fifteen inches below thesecondary cover part. As thus constructed, important letter mail droppedto the bottom wall panel thereof cannot be reached through therelatively small opening between the beaded rear edge 3l of thesecondary cover part C and the rear Wall panel 4 of the box part, sincethe human hand cannot be inserted into the news box. Thus the secondarycover part C, which normally is kept in closed and locked position bythe authorized holder of the opening key, insures substantial safety toimportant letters and mail delivered by the postman.

While certain novel features of this invention have been abovedisclosed, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutionsand changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departingfrom the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed is: 1. An improved duplex covered mail and news boxformed of sheet material comprising a box part having enclosing front,rear, bottom and side wall panels, said rear wall panel having a rearwall section inset between said side Wall panels providing a pair ofrearwardly extending rim formations adapted to rest against the buildingwall and maintain said rear wall section spaced from the building wall,a secondary cover" part a top Wall section designed to substantiallyclose the upper end of said box part comprising a top wall. panel havinga front flange section and side'flange sections depending from.

sa idtop wall-panel designed to snugly overlap the corresponding frontflange section and side flange cover part to the box part.

2.; An improved duplex covered mail and news box formed of sheetmaterial comprising a box part having enclosing front, rear, bottom andside wall panels, said rear wall panel having a rear wall section insetbetween said side Wall panels providing a pair of rearwardly extendingrim formations adapted to rest against the building Wall and maintainsaid rear Wall section spaced from the building wall, a secondary coverpart designed to substantially close the upper end of said box part in amanner to prevent pilfering of mail deposited in the box part, saidsecondary cover part having a top wall section presenting a contractedinsertion opening, a front flange section and side flange sectionsdepending from said top wall section designed to snugly overlie theupper outside face of the front wall panel and side wall panels of thebox part, a primary cover part comprising a top wall panel having afront flange section and side flange sections depending therefromdesigned to snugly overlap the corresponding front flange section andside wall sections of said secondary cover part, a lock secured to theinside face of the top wall section of the secondary cover part having alooking element designed to lock to the front wall panel of the boxpart, and common pivot means for independently hinging said primarycover part and said secondary cover part to the upper ends of therearwardly extending rim formations of said box part.

3. An improved duplex covered mail and news box formed of sheet materialcomprising a box part having enclosing front, rear, and side wallpanels, and an outwardly bulging rib formation extending across saidfront wall panel and a section of each of said side wall panels definingthereabove cover receiving top edge sections, a secondary cover parthaving a top wall section presenting a contracted insertion openingtherein, a front flange section and side flange sections depending fromsaid top wall section designed to snugly overlie the outside face of thecoverreceiving top edge sections of said box part, a primary cover partcomprising a top wall panel having a front flange section and sideflange sections depending therefrom designed to snugly overlie thecorresponding front flange section and side flange sections of saidsecondary cover part, water shedding lip portions flaring outwardly fromthe lower edges of the front and side flange sections of said primarycover part designed to overlie the outwardly bulging rib formation ofthe box part when the primary cover part is in closed position, andmeans for hinging the side flange sections of said primary cover partand secondary cover part to the upper end of said box part.

4. An improved duplex covered mail and news box formed of sheet materialcomprising a box part having enclosing front, rear, bottom and side wallpanels, and an outwardly bulging rib formation extending across saidfront Wall panel and a section .of each of said side wall panelsdefining thereabove cover receiving top edge sections, a secondary coverpart having a top wall section presenting a contracted insertionopening, a front flange section and side flange sections -depending fromsaid top wall section de-' signed to snugly overlie the outside face ofthe cover-receivingtop edge sections of said box part, a primary coverpart comprising a top wall panel having a front flange section and sideflange sections depending therefrom designed to snugly to overlie thecorresponding front flange section and side flange sections of saidsecondary cover parts, water shedding lip portions flaring outwardlyfrom the lower edges of the front and side fiangesections of saidprimary cover part designed to overlie the outwardly bulging ribformation of the box part when the primary cover part is in closedposition, a lock secured to the inside face of the top wall section ofthe secondary cover part having a locking element designed. to lock tothe front wall panel of the box part, and common pivot pins for hingingthe side flange'sections of said primary cover part and secondary coverpart to the upper ends of said side wall panels of said box part.

- 5. An improved duplex covered mail and news box formed of sheetmaterial comprising a box part having enclosing front, rear, bottom andside wall panels, said rear wall panel having a rear wall section insetbetween said side Wall panels providing a'pair of rearwardly extendingrim formations'aseconda'ry cover part designed to substantially closethe upper end of said box part in a manner to prevent pilfering of maildeposited in the box part, said secondary cover part having a top wallsection presenting a contracted insertion opening between the rear edgethereof and the rear Wall panel of the box part,

ea front flange section and side flange sections depending from said topwall section designed to snugly overlie the upper outside face of thefront wall panel and side wall panels of the box part, a lock secured tothe inside face of said top wall section having a locking elementdesigned to be locked to the front wall panel of the box part, a primarycover part comprising a top wall panel having a front flange section andside flange sections depending therefrom designed to snugly overlie thecorresponding front flange section and side flange sections of saidsecondary cover part, and aligned pivot pins for hinging the rear endsof the side flange sections of said primary cover part and secondarycover part to the upper ends of the'rearwardly extending rim formationsof the box part.

' RUSSELL W. GIESELER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Atkinson Aug. 24, 1948

